A package for moving a platform in six degrees of freedom, is provided. The platform may include an optoelectronic device mounted thereon. The package includes an in-plane actuator which may be a MEMS actuator and an out-of-plane actuator which may be formed of a piezoelectric element. The in-plane MEMS actuator may be mounted on the out-of-plane actuator mounted on a recess in a PCB. The in-plane MEMS actuator includes a plurality comb structures in which fingers of opposed combs overlap one another, i.e. extend past each other's ends. The out-of-plane actuator includes a central portion and a plurality of surrounding stages that are connected to the central portion. The in-plane MEMS actuator is coupled to the out-of-plane Z actuator to provide three degrees of freedom to the payload which may be an optoelectronic device included in the package.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An actuator assembly for actuating an optoelectronic device in multiple directions, said actuator assembly comprising: a package including a circuit board, an in-plane micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator, an out-of-plane actuator, and an optoelectronic device, said optoelectronic device conductively coupled to components of said in-plane MEMS actuator through a plurality of electrically conductive flexures; and said out-of-plane actuator conductively coupled to at least one of said in-plane MEMS actuator and said circuit board, wherein said in-plane MEMS actuator is capable of providing actuation along an XY directional plane and said out-of-plane actuator is capable of providing actuation at least along directions other than along said plane, including a Z directional plane, and said circuit board is one of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a ceramic board, wherein said optoelectronic device is disposed over and joined to said in-plane MEMS actuator, said in-plane MEMS actuator is disposed over said out-of-plane actuator, said out-of-plane actuator is disposed over said circuit board and said package includes said optoelectronic device, said in-plane MEMS actuator, said out-of-plane actuator and said circuit board and each of said in-plane MEMS actuator and out-of-plane actuator is a planar member.
2. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said package includes said circuit board and said in-plane MEMS actuator includes a platform laterally surrounded by an outer frame, said platform directly joined to said optoelectronic device.
3. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive flexures are conductive composite wires that are joined to said in-plane MEMS actuator, extend over said in-plane MEMS actuator and conductively couple portions of said in-plane MEMS actuator and said in-plane MEMS actuator is further coupled to said optoelectronic device through further contacts.
4. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator is conductively coupled to said optoelectronic device through conductive vias that extend through said in-plane MEMS actuator and said optoelectronic device is directly coupled to a platform of said in-plane MEMS actuator, said platform laterally surrounded by an outer frame of said in-plane MEMS actuator.
5. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said in-plane MEMS actuator includes a moveable platform attachable to said optoelectronic device and an outer frame laterally surrounding said platform, and wherein said electrically conductive flexures extend from said platform to said outer frame.
6. The actuator assembly as in claim 5 , wherein said electrically conductive flexures are wires that are coupled to said platform and to said outer frame, and extend above said in-plane MEMS actuator thereby creating a void area between portions of said electrically conductive flexures and an upper surface of said in-plane MEMS actuator.
7. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said in-plane MEMS actuator includes a plurality of comb drive sectors, each said comb drive sector including moveable and fixed members and coupled to a cantilever further connected to a platform of said in-plane MEMS actuator that surrounds said plurality of comb drive sectors, said platform laterally surrounded by an outer frame of said in-plane MEMS actuator.
8. The actuator assembly as in claim 7 , wherein each said comb drive sector is planar, rectangular in shape, and includes a plurality of pairs of opposed combs.
9. The actuator assembly as in claim 7 , wherein each of said plurality of comb drive sectors includes a plurality of pairs of opposed combs, each of said pairs of opposed combs including a first comb with first teeth coupled to a fixed spine of said fixed member and a second comb with second teeth coupled to a moveable spine of said moveable member, said fixed spine oriented parallel to said moveable spine, each of said first teeth having the same length and each of said second teeth having the same length.
10. The actuator assembly as in claim 9 , wherein said first teeth extend from said fixed spine towards said second comb, said second teeth extend from said moveable spine towards said first comb, said first and second teeth are oriented parallel one another, and an overlap region of said first and second teeth includes respective ends of said first teeth interposed between respective ends of said second teeth, said respective ends of said first and second teeth arranged in an alternating sequence.
11. The actuator assembly as in claim 9 , wherein ends of said first teeth are interposed between ends of said second teeth and each said fixed spine includes said first teeth joined to one side thereof and opposed teeth joined to an opposed side thereof and extending toward a further moveable spine of said moveable member and wherein said first teeth are tapered such that said ends of said first teeth are narrower than other portions of said first teeth and said second teeth are tapered such that said ends of said second teeth are narrower than other portions of said second teeth.
12. The actuator assembly as in claim 9 , wherein each said comb drive sector further comprises a pair of motion control cantilevers, each disposed at a periphery of said comb drive sector and coupled between said moveable member and said fixed member.
13. The actuator assembly as in claim 7 , wherein: each said comb drive sector includes a plurality of pairs of opposed combs; each of said pairs of opposed combs includes a first comb with first teeth coupled to a fixed spine of said fixed member and a second comb with second teeth coupled to a moveable spine of said moveable member; said fixed spine is parallel to said moveable spine; ends of said first teeth and ends of said second teeth form an overlap region in which adjacent ends of said first teeth are interposed between adjacent ends of said second teeth; and each said comb drive sector further comprises a pair of motion control cantilevers, each disposed at a periphery of said comb drive sector and coupled between said moveable member and said fixed member.
14. The actuator assembly as in claim 7 , wherein said fixed member includes a fixed bar and a plurality of fixed spines orthogonal to said fixed bar, said moveable member includes a moveable bar and a plurality of moveable spines orthogonal to said moveable bar, first teeth of a first comb extend from a fixed spine of said fixed member towards a moveable spine of said moveable member and second teeth of a second comb extend from a moveable spine of said moveable member towards a fixed spine of said fixed member, said fixed spine parallel to said moveable spine, and wherein, for each said comb drive sector, said cantilever includes one end attached to said platform and an opposed end attached to said moveable bar at a peripheral portion of said comb drive sector, said cantilever comprises a motion transfer cantilever that translates movement in said comb drive sector to said platform to provide motion thereto, said first teeth are oriented parallel to said second teeth, and said platform is disposed beneath and directly coupled to said optoelectronic device.
15. The actuator assembly as in claim 7 , wherein, for each said comb drive sector, said cantilever includes one end attached to said platform and an opposed end attached to said comb drive sector and wherein said cantilever comprises a motion transfer cantilever that translates movement in said comb drive sector to said platform.
16. The actuator assembly as in claim 15 , wherein said one end of said cantilever is attached to a peripheral portion of said comb drive sector.
17. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator includes a moveable center stage adapted to attach to at least one of said in-plane actuator and said optoelectronic device.
18. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator is a planar member comprising a center stage, intermediate stages laterally surrounding said center stage and beams connecting at least one of said center stage to said intermediate stages, and said intermediate stages to an outer frame that peripherally surrounds said intermediate stages, said intermediate stages arranged concentric to one another and wherein said out-of-plane actuator is configured to actuate said center stage in a direction orthogonal to a plane of said out-of-plane actuator.
19. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator is a planar member and comprises a moveable center stage, intermediate stages laterally surrounding said center stage and actuation beams connecting said center stage to said intermediate stages and said intermediate stages to an outer frame, said actuation beams being deformable and adapted to actuate said center stage, said center stage coupled to a platform portion of said in-plane MEMS actuator that is further coupled to said optoelectronic device disposed over said in-plane MEMS actuator.
20. The actuator assembly as in claim 19 , wherein said actuation beams are formed of a composite material including a plurality of material layers used in combination to produce a piezoelectric effect.
21. The actuator assembly as in claim 20 , wherein said plurality of material layers includes a lower continuous layer and an upper discontinuous layer.
22. The actuator assembly as in claim 19 , wherein said actuation beams further conductively couple said center stage to one or more of said intermediate stages.
23. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator comprises a center stage, concentric intermediate stages laterally surrounding said center stage and an outer frame laterally surrounding said intermediate stages, deformable actuation beams connecting said center stage to at least one of said intermediate stages and capable of actuating said center stage, and flexure beams coupling said outer frame to at least one said intermediate stage, said flexure beams serving as at least one of motion control members and conductive coupling members.
24. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator is conductively coupled to components outside of said package and said circuit board, through conductive epoxy or conductive paste disposed in holes in said in-plane MEMS actuator or eutectic bonding, and through said electrically conductive flexures which are wires that extend above said in-plane MEMS actuator and conductively couple laterally separated portions of said in-plane MEMS actuator.
25. The actuator assembly as in claim 1 , wherein said out-of-plane actuator comprises a plurality of separately moveable planar center stage portions, intermediate stages surrounding said center stage portions and actuation beams connecting at least one of said center stage portions to at least one of said intermediate stages, said actuation beams being deformable and adapted to provide out of plane translational or rotational movement to said center stage portions.
26. The actuator assembly as in claim 25 , wherein at least one of said center stage portions is coupled to a platform of said in-plane MEMS actuator and said optoelectronic device is disposed on said platform, and said actuation beams are formed of a composite material including a plurality of material layers used in combination to produce a piezoelectric effect, said plurality of material layers including a lower continuous layer and an upper discontinuous layer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 23, 2017
July 24, 2018
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